Bulletin 2007-2

Bulletin 2007-2 TO: All Companies Licensed to Write Health Insurance in Kansas FROM: Sandy Praeger Commissioner of Insurance DATE: March 15, 2007 RE: Withdrawal of Bulletin 1999-2 – Standardized Credentialing Application Form to be Used by All Licensed Companies in Kansas for Credentialing Healthcare Providers; Adoption of the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare’s (CAQH) National Universal Credentialing Application A Kansas Standardized Credentialing Application was adopted by the Commissioner of Insurance in 1999. Changes have been requested to the application’s paper form and content. The Commissioner requested an advisory group representing health insurers, health care professionals, trade organizations and affected state agencies convene to advise her on adoption of a centralized electronic system for credentialing healthcare providers in Kansas. This bulletin adopts the advisory group’s recommendation to establish the not-for-profit Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH) National Universal Credentialing Datasource® and its credentialing application as the Kansas Standardized Credentialing Application (KSCA). As insurers and providers move to adopt the electronic application, a paper version of the application also will be available. The electronic and paper versions of the CAQH application replace the prior KSCA established by Kansas Insurance Department (KID) Bulletin 1999-2, dated June 18, 1999. Effective June 1, 2007, Bulletin 1999-2 is hereby withdrawn and the standardized credentialing form it adopted no longer will be made available by KID. All insurers and providers are requested to cease use of the form specified in Bulletin 1999-2 by June 1, 2008. In support of its recommendation to adopt the CAQH electronic application, the advisory group found that the Universal Credentialing Datasource®: ƒ has become an established source for credentialing information nationwide, already used by a large number of healthcare providers and insurers, including in Kansas; ƒ allows healthcare providers to enter data once online or through submission of a paper application, maintain it efficiently online and print it out for submission at no charge, while allowing for it to be accessed electronically for a fee by authorized insurers and others who have entered into an agreement to use the data for credentialing; Bulletin 2007-2 March 15, 2007 Page 2 ƒ results in a significant savings in administrative time by providers who would otherwise repeatedly complete, update and submit lengthy paper forms for each application; ƒ contains all elements deemed necessary that were found on the prior KSCA, in addition to new elements; and ƒ allows for a paper form as an alternative to the provider electronic application. KID requests that all companies licensed to write health insurance in Kansas accept the CAQH application as the KSCA and encourages use of the electronic application for credentialing. KID also encourages Kansas hospitals and other organizations that credential physicians and other healthcare providers to consider acceptance of the CAQH application as part of their credentialing procedures. Links will be provided at http://www.ksinsurance.org/company/accident-health-life.php to access the electronic application and to the paper alternative application. The CAQH Uniform Credentialing Datasource® web address is http://www.caqh.org/credapp/. Questions regarding the CAQH application should be addressed to CAQH directly at 888-599- 1771 or email help@caqh.geoaccess.com. Other questions may be addressed to Jay Rogers, Director, Accident and Health Division, Kansas Insurance Department, 420 SW 9th Street, Topeka, KS 66612, via telephone at 785-296-3071, or via email at jrogers@ksinsurance.org.